In Memoriam: “Reading Rainbow” (1983-2009) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 08-28-2009, 07:47 PM

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/...ading-rainbow/

Add another one to the list for Summer of Deaths 2009. This time it’s not a person, but a beloved children’s program Generation Y will remember well: “Reading Rainbow.” After 26 years on the air, “Reading Rainbow” aired its last show today.

Two dozen Emmys weren’t enough to keep the iconic children’s reading program show from shuttering. In an interview with NPR, John Grant, chief content officer at the program’s home station, says that no one would offer the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to renew broadcast rights.

Pointing to changes in educational programming funding, Grant said that the Department of Education and PBS are spending more money on teaching kids how to read, not on teaching them to savor the act itself. But the delights of “Reading Rainbow” stemmed directly from this premise – that kids could lose themselves in magical worlds just by turning a page.

Host (and prolific Twitter user) Levar Burton hasn’t yet tweeted about it, but dismayed fans have already coined the twitter hash #savereadingrainbow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6j8EiWIVZs

catlover79 · 08-28-2009, 08:30 PM

That is very sad - I used to love this show when I was a kid. I knew LeVar Burton much better from this than TNG.

Marvo301 · 08-28-2009, 08:31 PM

It's sad that ho one would step up to the plate and fund a show which teaches kids the joy of reading. This is a very sad day!

browneyes106 · 08-29-2009, 01:11 AM

I loved that show when I was younger.

Schmoopie · 08-29-2009, 02:38 AM

That is very sad to hear. I was in high school when it started, so I didn't watch it much, but it was a great show. I agree that it's a shame that no one would help save it from cancelation. I hope they will either put it on DVD or continue to re-run the episodes so that future generations can see this program. After all, kids books are timeless.

howierules86 · 08-29-2009, 07:08 AM

Until I saw this posted on another message board I post at, I didn't know "Reading Rainbow" even lasted as long as it did (this shows how much I've been keeping up with PBS shows lately). Oh well, when I did watch, I always thought Levar Burton was an awesome host.

80sTrivia · 08-29-2009, 07:23 AM

I used to watch this show all the time as a child... sad that quality children's programming is such an endangered species...

catlover79 · 08-29-2009, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 80sTrivia

I used to watch this show all the time as a child... sad that quality children's programming is such an endangered species...

Just like every other TV genre except for reality...GRRR...

Chocoholic · 08-29-2009, 11:50 AM

I didn't even realize it was still on, but i agree it is sad that these quality shows that actually teach kids are getting cancelled and being replaced by garbage.

MickeyMac · 08-29-2009, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chocoholic

I didn't even realize it was still on, but i agree it is sad that these quality shows that actually teach kids are getting cancelled and being replaced by garbage.

SpunkiiMonkii7078 · 08-29-2009, 03:14 PM

Aw, I used to watch this show as a kid all the time. So sad it's canceled now.

Scoobiedoo30 · 08-30-2009, 08:20 PM

The show has been on that long 1983 until 2009

gidgetgrape · 08-30-2009, 10:38 PM

I liked Reading Rainbow a lot when I was a kid, but our library never had any of the books they featured. It was disappointing.

PunkyP0WER · 08-30-2009, 11:53 PM

the show was actually canceled in 2006 and has been in re-runs up until now. pbs ceased airing the re-runs on friday, august 28.

nonetheless its still a shame that this show will not be accessible to today's youth. (amazon does have several box sets and best of dvds for sale on its site.)

quality children's program is in the toilet these days. sesame street is a former shadow of itself in recent years. they really dumbed it down with elmo and his friends. it used to be that pre-schoolers - 2nd/3rd graders watched it, not its like the target audience is toddlers-preschoolers.

same thing with barney, it was watchable when it first premiered, i remember alot of kids in my 4th and 5th grade class secretly watched it, but now they changed the format of it so much its garbage.

MacLeaper · 09-11-2009, 10:08 AM

That is sad to hear. I grew up watching Reading Rainbow as a child- such a great show. I used to love watching this when they would show it in class in the third grade. :-)
PBS should at least keep airing the 20 something years worth of reruns. I would hope this show, along with Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, could continue in reruns forever. These shows, along with Sesame Street, are the three top children's educational programming I grew up with and love- and I hope they will continue to be available for kids in the future.

08-28-2009, 07:47 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,108	In Memoriam: “Reading Rainbow” (1983-2009) http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/...ading-rainbow/ Add another one to the list for Summer of Deaths 2009. This time it’s not a person, but a beloved children’s program Generation Y will remember well: “Reading Rainbow.” After 26 years on the air, “Reading Rainbow” aired its last show today. Two dozen Emmys weren’t enough to keep the iconic children’s reading program show from shuttering. In an interview with NPR, John Grant, chief content officer at the program’s home station, says that no one would offer the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to renew broadcast rights. Pointing to changes in educational programming funding, Grant said that the Department of Education and PBS are spending more money on teaching kids how to read, not on teaching them to savor the act itself. But the delights of “Reading Rainbow” stemmed directly from this premise – that kids could lose themselves in magical worlds just by turning a page. Host (and prolific Twitter user) Levar Burton hasn’t yet tweeted about it, but dismayed fans have already coined the twitter hash #savereadingrainbow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6j8EiWIVZs
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08-28-2009, 08:30 PM	#2
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	That is very sad - I used to love this show when I was a kid. I knew LeVar Burton much better from this than TNG.
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08-28-2009, 08:31 PM	#3
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,452	It's sad that ho one would step up to the plate and fund a show which teaches kids the joy of reading. This is a very sad day!
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08-29-2009, 02:38 AM	#5
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	That is very sad to hear. I was in high school when it started, so I didn't watch it much, but it was a great show. I agree that it's a shame that no one would help save it from cancelation. I hope they will either put it on DVD or continue to re-run the episodes so that future generations can see this program. After all, kids books are timeless.
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08-29-2009, 07:23 AM	#7
80sTrivia Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 23, 2002 Posts: 21,715	I used to watch this show all the time as a child... sad that quality children's programming is such an endangered species...
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08-29-2009, 01:11 AM	#4
browneyes106 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 01, 2008 Posts: 6,097	I loved that show when I was younger.

08-29-2009, 07:08 AM	#6
howierules86 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 05, 2007 Location: Opelika, AL Posts: 29,474	Until I saw this posted on another message board I post at, I didn't know "Reading Rainbow" even lasted as long as it did (this shows how much I've been keeping up with PBS shows lately). Oh well, when I did watch, I always thought Levar Burton was an awesome host.

08-29-2009, 11:50 AM	#9
Chocoholic Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 01, 2000 Location: Between a rock and a hard place. Posts: 11,235	I didn't even realize it was still on, but i agree it is sad that these quality shows that actually teach kids are getting cancelled and being replaced by garbage.

08-29-2009, 03:14 PM	#11
SpunkiiMonkii7078 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 20, 2004 Location: Pennsylvania, USA Posts: 784	Aw, I used to watch this show as a kid all the time. So sad it's canceled now.
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08-30-2009, 08:20 PM	#12
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	The show has been on that long 1983 until 2009
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08-30-2009, 10:38 PM	#13
gidgetgrape Forever Gidget Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 20, 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 3,503	I liked Reading Rainbow a lot when I was a kid, but our library never had any of the books they featured. It was disappointing.

08-30-2009, 11:53 PM	#14
PunkyP0WER Member Senior Member Join Date: May 23, 2008 Location: MACY*S on 34th St. Posts: 1,908	the show was actually canceled in 2006 and has been in re-runs up until now. pbs ceased airing the re-runs on friday, august 28. nonetheless its still a shame that this show will not be accessible to today's youth. (amazon does have several box sets and best of dvds for sale on its site.) quality children's program is in the toilet these days. sesame street is a former shadow of itself in recent years. they really dumbed it down with elmo and his friends. it used to be that pre-schoolers - 2nd/3rd graders watched it, not its like the target audience is toddlers-preschoolers. same thing with barney, it was watchable when it first premiered, i remember alot of kids in my 4th and 5th grade class secretly watched it, but now they changed the format of it so much its garbage.
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09-11-2009, 10:08 AM	#15
MacLeaper Child of the 80s Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 20, 2001 Posts: 3,359	That is sad to hear. I grew up watching Reading Rainbow as a child- such a great show. I used to love watching this when they would show it in class in the third grade. :-) PBS should at least keep airing the 20 something years worth of reruns. I would hope this show, along with Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, could continue in reruns forever. These shows, along with Sesame Street, are the three top children's educational programming I grew up with and love- and I hope they will continue to be available for kids in the future.
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